My neighbor was working on his bike tonight, and mentioned a Stabil product with which I was not familiar. It is called Stabil Marine additive, and it is especially formulated to correct the negative effects of ethanol in fuel systems. It is blue in color, rather than red, and he said it was pretty pricey. He does alot of atv riding, and says that he and his friends use it in all of their fuel systems, as well as the generator at his camp, and they swear by it. Has anyone here had any experience with this stuff? (I will say that my gas was pretty nasty after winter storage, even with the red Stabil added)

I'm using the Marine Stabil to address the ethanol issues in both my boat and my old (1980) Porsche 911. The Porsche has Bosch CIS fuel injection which is apparently vulnerable to ethanol problems because the fuel passes through every component in the system.

I'm using Spectro Fuel Conditioner in the '99 Thunderbird Sport. It says on the container that it's designed to address ethanol problems in motorcycles. I've read that 10% ethanol is ok in 1999 bikes but my paranoia remains so the TBS always gets the Spectro.

The red Stbil is pretty much unless with ethanol in the mix. I use the bluish marine Stabil in my Legend and it works great. Especially for winter storage. Since having my carbs. rebuilt I pour in a little bit with every tankful unless I am lucky enough to find an independent station that carries ethanol free gas.

I think with the current state of ethanol blended fuel, Stabil ought to let customers know that the red product is not going to work, and market the blue more aggressively. Even if it costs more, it is certainly cheaper than having to tear down the carbs every spring. I guess I'll start adding a splash every time I fill up (unless I'm going to run the tank out that same day).

IStabil ought to let customers know that the red product is not going to work,

If you read their website they say the red still works with E-10 fuels, however it will not protect aluminum carb bodies etc. from the water absorbed by ethanol (this is one of the key things that the blue version does). Apparently it really is only open breathing fuel systems with aluminum components that are badly affected - however this does of course include our bikes.

Just remember; an awful lot of the free advice you will get on forums is worth exactly what you paid for it. There will always be somebody trying to convince you to do something really stupid, just because they did it or want to do it.

Just a thought but why not drain the carbs in the fall and eliminate that concern? Then all you have to worry about is the fuel tank and petcock....

BTW without rubbing it in the Tbird gets the carbs drained and the Honda does not (through 8 winters) and have never had a carb issue with either & I use the red stabil.

The concern is not just a storage issue, though it would get worse then . Apparently the Ethanol absorbs water (a problem especially prevalent in marine or humid environments). That water and dissolved ethanol can settle out in the tank so promoting rust and can also corrode fuel system parts such as petcocks and carb float bowls.

I'm sure Stabil could be playing up the issue as they are selling a product, but I have heard of ATV riders having problems with white deposits in their carbs.

obviously if you ride a lot then there will be less time for the water to get into the Ethanol. Also if you live in a relatively low humidity area the problem will be reduced. Finally if you tend to keep your tank full then it will also help (less air space).

FWIW here in VT we have had E10 for a while - I found no trace of white deposits in my carbs or jets while doing my rejetting work. I don't ride a huge amount of miles generally and my bike is often put away with a partial tank of fuel in a slightly damp basement.

__________________Mick...

Just remember; an awful lot of the free advice you will get on forums is worth exactly what you paid for it. There will always be somebody trying to convince you to do something really stupid, just because they did it or want to do it.

Minnesota has had E-10 here for quite a few years also and like you Mick have not had any deposits show up. One thing (in my mind) we all should be aware of is where we buy our fuel. A small station that does not do a lot of business may not have the best fuel available.

Back before ethanol fuel we used to pour in a bottle of Heet (isopropyl alcohol) is essentially ethanol to help keep our car/truck fuel lines and carburators (remember those on cars?!) from freezing up. I could go into the hows and whys we did that but it would bore you all to tears if I haven't done so already...

__________________
"You are either on something or onto something"........The Common Man

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